Truck-brake and tongue-support.



A. G. STEPHENSON.

TRUCK BRAKE AND TONGUE SUPPORT APPLICATION FILED MIN. 22. ISIB.

1,289,297, Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

51 I a L, *2

A. G. STEPHENSON.

TRUCK BRAKE AND TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION- FILED JAN 22 191B.

Patente Dec. 31, 1918.

Z SHETSSHEET 2.

AXEL G. STEPHENSON, OF DENVER, COLOR ADO.

TRUCK-BRAKE AND TONGUE-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31,1918.

Application filed January 22, 1918. Serial No. 213,116.

To (all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AXEL G. STEPHENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truck-Brakes and Tongue-Supports; and I do declare the following to be a full. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brake mechanisms, more especially adapted for use in connection with depot trucks. Heretofore, so far as I am aware these trucks have not been equipped with brake mechanism and in many instances accidents have resulted by reason of the fact that the station platforms have been built on inclines so that the trucks when released have run down these inclines on to the track and have been hit by trains.

My object is to overcome this difficulty and at the same time provide means for an tomatically holding the tongue in an upright position or out of the way when the truck is standing still, either for loading or unloading purposes or when not in use.

This construction briefly stated consists of brake shoes normally spring-actuated to engage the tires of the forward wheels of the truck, said shoes being formed on the outer arms of lovers whose inner arms are linkconnected with a short lever arm formed on the inner extremity of the tongue, the construction being such that when the tongue is lowered or placed in the position for drawing the truck. it acts through the medium of the link upon the inner extremities of the levers to disengage their brake shoe extremities from the wheels of the truck, whereas, when the tongue is slightly lifted or thrown out of the dead center position, it will move upwardly out of the way through the influence of the tension of the springs which acts to throw the brake shoes into engagement with the wheels. In other words, the springs which serve to set the brakes also act through the brake levers and their link connection with the tongue to hold the latter in the upright or upwardly projecting position.

Having briefly outlined my improvement,

I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates the forward extremity of a truck equipped with my improvement. being a section taken on the line 11, Fig. 2 viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the .line22, Fig. 1 looking downwardly.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 38, Fig. 1, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

Fig. is a fragmentary side elevation of the brake mechanism and its support shown on a larger scale than in the previous views.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55, Fig. 3 looking toward the right.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6--6, Fig. 3, the parts being shown on a larger sca e.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the front wheels of a vehicle as a depot truck; 6 the axle of the truck and 7 the lower part of the fifth wheel or the part which is rigid with the tongue and front axle for the purpose of making turns. 1 The super-structure of the forward part of thetruck is designated by the numeral 8 and is mounted, as shown at 9, on the top part 10 of the fifth wheel structure A part 12 extends forwardly from the lower part 7 of the 5th wheel and is bifurcated. as shown at 13, to receive the tongue 14L which is pivotally connected therewith, as shown at 15. The tongue has a projection 16 which extends-below or beyond the pivot 15 forming in reality a short arm of a lever, the body of the tongue 17 being the long arm and the pivot 15, the fulcrum. Pivotally connected with the short arm 16 of the tongue, as shown at 18, is the forward extremity of a link 19 composed of two parts 20 which are connected by a depending yoke 21, the lever arm 16 of the tonguebeing arranged between the two members of the link. The rear extremities of these link members are perforated to respectively receive the inner ends 22 of two lovers 23 fulcrumed, shown at 24k, on arms 35 which are rigidly connected, as shown at 36 with the part 7 of the fifth wheel of the vehicle. Between the fulcrum 24 and the terminals 22 of these levers are the inner arms 25, while beyond the fulcrums 2 1 are the outer arms in braking relation.

26 whose terminals are formed into shoes 27 adapted to engage the wheels 5 of the vehicle The arm 26 of the levers 23 are connected between the shoes 27 and the fulcrums 2a with the forward extremities of spiral springs '28 whose rear extremities are connected with the front axle of the vehicle, as shown "at 29, a' collar being passed around the axle and formed into an ear forwa'rd of the axle with which the rear extremity of each spring is connected.

From the foregoin description the use and operationof 'my improvement will be readily understood. Assuming that the truck is standin still on the depot platform or other surface or support, the tongue and brake mechanism will occupy the position illustrated by full lines in the drawing; that is to say, the tongue will extend upwardly as shown 'in Figs. 1, at and (land the brake shoe members 27 will engage the tires of the wheels in the, braking relation, whereby it will be impossible for the truck to move from its position accidentally o'r withoiit design. When it is desired to move the truck, the tongue is lowered to thepositio'n shown by dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 6. During the lowering operation the lever arm 16 of the tongue passes from the full line position in Fig. 6 to the dotted line position in the same figures and during this. movement, the link 19 has been thrust rearwardly s'ufiicie'ntly to throw the levers 23 to the dotted line position in Fig. 3 whereby the brake shoe members 27 are disengaged from the front wheels, The truck may then be moved a) any desired distance, but as soon as it is stopped the tongue when released will auto-,

matieally ass'umethe raised position simultaneously with the setting of the brake through the medium of the spiral springs 28 which have sufficient tension for the purpose. V

The importance of normally maintaining the tongue of a vehicle of this character in the upri ht or raised position will be readilyi'inde'rstood, since the tongues of depottrucks usually are in such posirtironthat their outer extremities rest upon the'platform, be-

ing thus in the way of other trucks and also interfering with the travel of people who may be moving about upon the platform. VVith the tongue raised and held in the raised position, it is entirely out of the way.

This feature of the invention removes an obstacle which so far as I am aware has always existed in connection with trucks of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Brake mechanism for trucks and like vehicles having pivoted tongues, including in combination with a vehicle and the tongue thereof, transversely arranged levers, brake shoes on the outer ends of said levers, springs acting on the levers to force the shoes normally against the wheels of the vehicle, an onset arm on the tongue and a link connection between said arm and said levers, said offset arm being provided to avoid a dead center when the tongue is in lowered position, said levers and tongue being so pivoted. that actuation of the brake shoes toward the wheels obtains simultaneous elevation of the tongue and so that lowering of the tongue will release the brakes.

2. Brake mechanism for trucks and like vehicles having tongues pivoted for movement in a vertical plane, comprising in combination witha vehicle and tongue, transversely arranged levers fulcrumed on the vehicle, brake shoes on the outer ends of said levers, springs acting on said outer ends to force the shoes against the wheels of the vehicle, an offset arm on the lower end of the tongue extending away from the vehicle when the tongue is in upright position, and links connectingsaid arm with the levers, said offsetarm being provided to avoid a dead center whenth'e tongue is in lowered position, said levers and tongue being so pivotedthat actuation of the brake shoes toward the wheels obtains simultaneous elevation of the tongue and so that lowering of the tongue will release the brakes.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AXEL G. STEPHENSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O. 

